the present invention relates to a system and method for detecting the movement of an infant from a secure area. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for detecting the unauthorized movement, such as an abduction, of an infant wearing an electronically and/or visually detectable diaper or article of apparel from a secure area, such as a neonatal care unit in a hospital.
Hospital security is a significant concern to those responsible for the operation of infant care units, especially in view of the increasing frequency of abduction of infants from such units. The present invention applies electronic detection system technology to the problem of prevention of unauthorized removal of infants from a secure area in a hospital.
Electronic detection system technology has diverse applications. For example, retail merchants may affix electronically detectable indicator tags to their merchandise and install tag detection modules at their doors in an effort to deter theft. The indicator tags may be concealed so that a would-be thief would not be able to defeat this system by removing the tags from the merchandise. When the indicator tags are not so concealed, the tags are typically affixed to the merchandise so that they can be removed only by store personnel to thwart efforts to defeat the electronic detection system by removing the tags. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,343 to Lemelson is an example of such an electronic detection system.
Electronic detection system technology, as it has been applied to the detection of humans, has usually included an indicator tag attached to a person to be detected. In the event an indicator tag is to be worn by a reluctant participant, such as a prisoner at home, the indicator may be affixed to the body of the participant so that it cannot be readily removed by the participant or others. Such devices, however, are usually bulky and not suitable for wear by an infant. Further, such a device may actually harm the infant by chafing the infant's skin. See, for example, the heavy collars disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,284 to Leveille, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,477 to Watson.
In the event the participant is willing to wear an indicator tag, the tag may be designed to be easily removed because it is assumed that the participant does not want to defeat the system. The tag may be included in a bracelet, a shoe insert or an object carried by the participant. Such systems may be easily defeated by a participant who forgets or becomes unwilling to wear or carry the sensor. See, for example, the removable tags in U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,155 to Shirley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,933 to Dill, U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,696 to Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,214 to Minasy and U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,275 to Ross, et al.
The disadvantage of such systems for infant monitoring lies in the ease with which indicator tags can be identified and removed. An infant may be able to wear such devices but is unable to protest when the devices are removed to avoid detection when the infant is removed from the secure system.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method for detecting the unauthorized passage of an infant from a secure area that obviates the problems of the prior art and is safe and easy to use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronically and visually detectable diaper in a system and method for detecting the passage of an infant from a secure area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for detecting the passage of an infant from a secure area including a diaper or article of apparel having an indicator therein that is not sensed by an infant wearing the diaper or article of apparel.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a system for detecting the passage of an infant from a secure area including diapers that have a visually conspicuous appearance so that attempts to defeat the system may be prevented.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an infant passage detection system wherein detection devices carried on the infant may be hidden in customary infant wear to resist detection and removal by unauthorized personnel.
These and many other objects and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims and the following description of preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.